Administration

Dr. Tad Nuce
Administrator
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I was raised in a Christian home and accepted Jesus Christ as my personal Savior when I was five. Having attended a combination of ten Christian and public schools growing up, I developed an appreciation for Christian schools since my own experience in them had always been more positive than the public schools. After finishing college with a degree in social studies education in 1993, I taught in a Christian school in Lustre, Montana, for two years before joining New Tribes Mission to teach in their schools for missionary children. I taught for one year near Manaus, Brazil, and then served for thirteen years as both a teacher and administrator in Chihuahua, Mexico. In 2012 the Lord led our family to Galena where my desire has been to develop a God-honoring Christian school that focuses on the biblical integration of course work and the intentional discipleship of students. 

A.A. New Tribes Bible Institute, Waukesha, WI.
B.A. Southwestern College, Winfield, KS.
M.S. Baptist Bible College, Clark’s Summit, PA.
Ed.D. Bob Jones University, Greenville, SC.
Barb Block
Bookkeeper
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I grew up on a small farm in Dubuque, Iowa in a Catholic family of nine children. We regularly attended church; however, I grew to understand God as something powerful but distant, and that He would grant prayer requests only if I were behaving. Through turbulent teen years and early twenties, I distanced myself from God. After many selfish years, I began questioning the real purpose of my life and also God's existence. In 1990, a teacher at the local community college, where I worked, befriended me and started talking about Jesus as a friend and a personal Savior. She taught me John 3:16....about God's forgiveness and love, and the incredible sacrifice of His Son, Jesus, on the cross for me, personally. Early in 1991, when the U.S. entered a mid-East crisis, I thought to myself, "If the world were to end today, or if I were to die today, where would I end up? Would I perish in Hell or go to Heaven?" Understanding that Jesus said, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." (John 14:6), I gave my life to the Lord! Though my Christian walk hasn't always been easy, I've learned that I grow the most in times of trial. Our God is an awesome God who can do incredible things in our lives if we trust and obey Him. John 3:16 “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” Our family attends Asbury Community Chapel in Dubuque, Iowa.
Karen Hullinger
Secretary
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I was raised in a bible-believing church since I was little. However, it wasn't until I was in 5th or 6th grade at an after-school church program that I realized I needed a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. I wandered from Christ in my teen years and the earlier part of my marriage until the Lord spoke to my heart about fully committing my life to Him. I am grateful to Him for His saving grace and His watchful care over me as His child. My life verse is "I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me." Phil. 4:13

I have been blessed being a TSCS parent for two years and being a part of the office staff since 2005. I attend Gratiot Evangelical Free Church in Gratiot, WI.
Christy Leverentz
Admissions
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I am so very grateful to have grown up in a Christian home where I was taught about the Lord Jesus at an early age.  Both of my parents demonstrated a disciplined godly life, serving Him and others in ways that I still try to emulate today.  I accepted Jesus as my Savior when I was seven years old, but rededicated my life to Him as a freshman in high school.  When I chose Emmaus Bible College, I had planned to only receive my one year Bible certificate.  Thankfully, Emmaus had begun their Elementary Education Degree, which I graduated with three years later.  My first teaching job was teaching second grade here at Tri-State Christian School. I thoroughly enjoyed my time here!  I was grateful for the supportive families and close- knit faculty and staff. I married my best friend, KT Leverentz, after my first year of teaching and we both taught at TSCS for four more years. In 2002, I stayed home with our first born and have loved being a stay-at-home mom and homeschool parent for 15 years.  We now have four wonderful children, who are all enrolled at Tri-State Christian School.  I am excited to be back at Tri-State in a new capacity as the Admissions Director.  Our family enthusiastically fellowships and serves at The Great Adventure Church in Dubuque, Iowa.

Bible Certificate - Emmaus Bible College, Dubuque, Iowa

B.S. Biblical Studies - Emmaus Bible College

B.S. Elementary Education - Emmaus Bible College
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Primary/Intermediate

Jamie Larsen
1st/2nd Grade
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I was raised in a Christian home and accepted Jesus Christ as my Savior when I was six. I grew up being educated in the public school system, but knew I wanted to attend a small, private Christian College. When I graduated from high school, I went on to attend Emmaus Bible College where I studied the Bible for a year. After I graduated with my one-year certificate, I returned home to attend a small community college. I returned to Emmaus in the fall of 2006 to finish my degree in Elementary Education. Upon finishing my degree at Emmaus, I took a job as a teacher’s aide in the autism program at Eisenhower Elementary School in Dubuque, Iowa. I worked as an aid for four years, but felt like the Lord was calling me to serve somewhere else. In 2012, I accepted the Second Grade position as Tri-State Christian School. It was important to me that I be in an environment where academics and strong Biblical teaching were the foundations of a child's learning. I currently live in Dubuque where I attend Asbury Community Chapel. 

One year certificate Emmaus Bible College, Dubuque, IA.
A.A. Clinton Community College, Clinton IA.
B.S. Emmaus Bible College, Dubuque, IA.
Katelyn Hester
3rd Grade
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I was born and raised in a Christian family in North Carolina where I came to know the Lord as my Savior at a young age. I had the opportunity to experience public as well as Christian school education. Shortly after I graduated from high school, I realized that I wanted to become a teacher. I attended Emmaus Bible College where I received a Bachelor of Science degree in Bible/Theology and Elementary Education; I also completed a Biblical Counseling minor. After I graduated from Emmaus, I started teaching third grade in 2010 for Tri-State Christian School. I am thankful that I have the opportunity to teach students and watch them grow academically as well as spiritually. I currently live in Dubuque, Iowa, where I attend Asbury Community Chapel. 

B.S. Bible/Theology-Emmaus Bible College 
B.S. Elementary Education-Emmaus Bible College
Keri Keller
4th Grade
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For as long as I can remember, I wanted to be a school teacher when I grew up. I was raised in a Christian home in a suburb of Chicago. At an early age, I came to the realization that I was a sinner and that Christ had died on the cross for me. I put my trust in the Lord when I was five years old, and since that day I have had a strong desire to learn, grow, follow, and share Christ with others. After high school I attended Emmaus Bible College in Dubuque, Iowa, where I received my bachelor’s degree in Biblical Studies and Elementary Education. I began teaching at Tri-State Christian School after graduation and taught there for two years before my husband and I began our family. God has blessed us with three children, and it wasn’t until they were all in school that I went back to teaching at Tri-State in the fourth grade classroom. I am thankful to be teaching in a Christian school where I am able to share the love of Christ with my students. My husband and I are both teachers, and we enjoy traveling with our family during the summer as well as ministering at camp as counselors. We attend Asbury Community Chapel and are involved in our church as youth group leaders. 

B.S. Biblical Studies-Emmaus Bible College 
B.S. Elementary Education-Emmaus Bible College
Carla Kreiss
5th Grade
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I came to a saving faith in Jesus Christ when I was twenty years old. I was a stay at home mom until my youngest child was in fifth grade. In 1998, I felt led by the Lord to attend college full-time in order to earn my education degree. My aspiration was to teach at Tri-State because of the impact it had made, not only in the lives of my own children, but the impact it made on my life as well. I had a strong desire to become a part of the ministry here. I have been teaching 5th grade since 2002. I thank God each day for blessing me with such a satisfying ministry. I experience great joy in teaching, which compliments my passion for children. Ephesians 2:10 is our class verse: “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.” My husband and I attend Galena Bible Church in Galena, Illinois.

B.S. Biblical Studies- Emmaus Bible College
B.S. Elementary Education- Emmaus Bible College
Kristen MacKay
6th Grade
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I grew up in Madison, Wisconsin and came to know Jesus as my Savior at a young age. Through the influence of godly parents and a strong local church, I grew in my faith and was instilled with a passion for ministry. Even as an elementary student, I had a strong desire to be a teacher and a missionary. I graduated from Wheaton College in 1986 with a BA degree in elementary education. I have always seen teaching as an extension of my faith and ministry, and I taught at a public school in West Chicago for seven years. I moved to the Philippines with my husband and our family in 1995. I took some time off professionally to stay at home with our three boys and returned to teaching when our youngest son started school. While in the Philippines, I had the privilege of serving in a variety of roles at Faith Academy (a Christian international school in the Philippines) as an elementary teacher, computer teacher, writing and math coach, and vice principal. I am excited to continue my ministry as a 6th grade teacher here at Tri-State Christian School. It is thrilling to be in a place where the Word of God is spoken as Truth, where prayer echoes through the halls, where grace flows freely, and Jesus is honored as Savior and Lord. 

B.A. Elementary Education – Wheaton College
Heather Taylor
Kindergarten
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I came to know the Lord at an early age through the godly influence of my teachers, my Sunday school teachers and my parents. They instructed me in God’s Word, but more importantly they set godly role models that I found consistent with the Scriptures as I began to explore myself. I am so excited to be part of that molding process as we strive to partner with parents here at Tri-State. My family and I have been involved with Galena Bible Church for over 20 years where we enjoy going to church with many from our student body.

I began teaching full time in 2012 at Tri-State Christian School, but I have been associated with the school for many years, first by running the hot lunch program for the previous ten years and then by substitute teaching in all the different grades over the past years. When the oldest of our six children started his senior year in 2012, I felt the next natural step that the Lord had for me was to join all of my children here as a teacher.

I graduated from Wheaton College, I am ACSI certified, and currently working on a master’s degree in elementary education from Grand Canyon University, a Christian College. 

B.A. Business-Wheaton College

Junior High/High School

Caleb Dodge
Secondary Bible
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I was privileged to grow up in a home with wonderful Christian parents. They modeled the love of Christ to me and my four brothers. It was in this home that I came to know the Lord as my Savior. After I completed high school, I went to Philadelphia Biblical University. It was there that I met my future lovely wife! After completing a one-year certificate, I decided to join the Army to pay for Bible college. During my time in the military, I married the love of my life and learned many valuable life lessons. After completing my military service, my wife and I tutored English in South Korea for two years. When we returned to America, we felt called to come to Dubuque so that I could study at Emmaus Bible College. We currently have three children under the age of four. I absolutely love being a husband and a father and am thankful that God has blessed me with so many opportunities to serve Him! We have been blessed to be a part of the body at Arbor Oaks Bible Chapel and are so thankful that the Lord has allowed us to attend there!

B.S. Secondary Education - Emmaus Bible College
B.S. Biblical Studies - Emmaus Bible College
One-year Institute of Jewish Studies Certificate - Philadelphia Biblical University
Londie Grothjan
Secondary English
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I began a relationship with Christ at a young age, by God's grace, with my beautiful praying mother by my side. Although I physically kneeled at five years old, I surrendered my whole heart in middle school to Jesus. I grew up on the rocky coast of Barrington, Rhode Island, and went to Barrington Christian Academy from K-8th grade-- the Lord used those godly, caring Christian teachers in my life to help me see Jesus, and know why He mattered in every aspect of my life. My preparation from a godly mother, Christ honoring church, and caring teachers prepared me for public high school. Being in a public high school was not easy, but the Lord used my experiences there to grow me into the person I am today. Throughout my childhood, I always had a sense from the Lord that I would teach, and the Lord used and affirmed that gift as I taught Sunday School, VBS, participated in high school mission trips to the inner city, led Kid's Club in college, worked with orphanage children in Romania, taught in a Christian school in Massachusetts, and taught Essentials at Classical Conversations. I have also had the privilege of previously homeschooling my children and I believe the Lord led us to Tri State Christian School in 2016. My desire is to be in a school that partners with parents to honor Christ and stirs children to grow academically and spiritually. We are thrilled to be a part of this community!

B.A. English-Eastern Nazarene College
Audrey Meert
Secondary History
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I was born and raised in a Christian family in South Bend, Indiana. From third grade until I graduated from high school, I attended a small Christian school. I trusted Christ as my Savior through the ministry of my 3rd grade teacher, Mrs. Kabel. She, along with many of my other teachers, had a great impact on my desire to serve God through Christian education. After graduating from high school, I attended Northland International University in Dunbar, Wisconsin. While I was a student at Northland, I had many opportunities for ministry including working in local church ministry and spending one summer teaching English at Sichuan University in the city of Chengdu, China. For three years before coming to teach at Tri-State in 2013, I taught history, English, and speech at Grace Baptist Academy in Farmington, New Mexico. I am thankful for the opportunity to help students academically but also to encourage them to grow spiritually here at Tri-State Christian School. 

B.A. Northland International University, Dunbar, WI
Tracey Kosin
Secondary Math
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Bio coming soon
Kikuli Mwanukuzi
Secondary Math
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I was born in Tansania of the Nyamwezi tribe.

In my youth I travelled a lot. In 1985, during my travels in Papua New Guinea, I was born again into Christ’s family and kingdom. Soon afterwards I met my adoptive mother who helped me come to the US.

My first stop in the US was in Hawaii, where I worked as a missionary with Youth With A Mission, mostly in the area of teaching pre-school, pre-school teacher training, and starting new pre-schools in Asia.

I graduated from Vanguard University of Southern California with a degree in accounting. For 10 years I was professional mathematics tutor at Johnson State College in Vermont.

I am teaching primarily secondary math. With God’s help, I desire to relate the love of math generally from a biblical perspective and through biblical epistemology.
Kevin Sandri
Secondary Science
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I grew up in the NW suburbs of Chicago and attended the local public school. When I was 16, I was interested in a girl at school who led me to Christ. That girl is now my wife. I attended college at Southern Illinois University at Carbondale for 2 years before transferring to the Edwardsville, IL campus for nursing school. I graduated in 2003 with my Bachelors of Science in Nursing. Since graduating from college, I have worked as a nurse in a Madison, WI hospital. As a nurse I have the opportunity to teach patients and their families about the disease processes, procedures, and tests that apply to their treatment. I have always had a love of learning and teaching. When the opportunity to teach science at TSCS presented itself, I felt the Lord leading me teach in a different venue, especially given my background in biology and chemistry.

B.S. Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, IL
Deanna Nuce
Spanish
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I came to know my need of a Savior when I was a five-year old missionary kid in Brazil. My dad had just shared the message with me (that I was a sinner and needed Jesus), and I told him I wanted to make Jesus my Savior. Our family remained in Brazil the next five years until I was ten. After living in Milwaukee until I was twenty, I married and made various moves with our family as we served in overseas missionary work. Our thirteen years in Mexico were a blessing to our family and kids. Seeing the gospel shared to people for the first time and being part of the team with New Tribes Mission was life changing. Upon returning to the US, I was thrilled for the opportunity to continue using my Spanish in a teaching role at Tri-State. Hopefully, these kids will see the vision to be involved in ministry/missions someday through any small role my Spanish teaching can offer. My husband and I attend Arbor Oaks Bible Chapel in Dubuque, Iowa.

Specials

Suzi Sulzer
JH/HS Art
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I grew up knowing who Jesus was, but I never understood what it meant to give my life to Christ. At the end of my third year of college, I was at a personal low. My best friend and a classmate teamed up and made me go to The Salt Company, a Christian group. I went, and the fourth week the leader spoke on Psalm 23 "the Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want..." He said that "God will give you what you truly need and what your heart longs for even without you asking." The next evening I thought about what was said and made a list of all that was bad in my life and all the things I had truly been longing for. Then it struck me, in the four weeks that I had gone to The Salt Company and was hearing His Word, God had gotten rid of everything bad on my list, and He had given me everything good on my list. Who could argue with that? My husband and I attend Christ Church in Dubuque, Iowa.
Ray Guerra
Music
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I was born and raised in a hispanic home in Houston, Texas. I came to know Jesus as my Savior when I was 8 years old. Despite my young age, I was well aware of my need of a Savior and that Jesus was who I needed to place my trust in to be saved. While in Houston, I attended a Christian music institute and graduated with a certificate in Christian music after high school. Then the Lord led me to Dubuque, IA to attend Emmaus Bible College and pursue a degree in Music Education and Bible/Theology. While attending Emmaus I served as an AV Technician, Emmaus Online video editor, song leader, and assistant choir director. I also found my wife while a student at Emmaus and got married in 2015. I currently have the joy of serving at Asbury Community Chapel as a worship leader and youth group leader. 

Christian Music Certificate - Instituto CanZion Houston 
Bible Certificate - Emmaus Bible College
B. S. Bible/Theology and Music Education K-12 - Emmaus Bible College
Chris Fransman
PE/Athletic Director
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I grew up in a Christian home and attended a small Christian elementary school. I proceeded to attend a public high school where I made a commitment to serve Jesus Christ my junior year. The Fellowship of Christian Athletes played a crucial role in me developing a Faith in Jesus Christ. I started attending while in high school, went on their mission’s trips during my college years, and am still active with it today as I have started a huddle here at Tri-State Christian School. I attended Dordt College in Sioux Center, Iowa, where I studied Health/Physical Education/Recreation. I graduated in 2005 and took my first, full-time teaching job here at TSCS in 2008 where I teach PE and serve as the athletic director. My wife and I serve and worship at Galena Bible Church in Galena, Illinois.

BA in Secondary Education-Dordt College
Physical Education K-12 Minor in Health

Staff

Lila Worsham
Custodian
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I did not come from a Christian home and as a teenager, my life was not a good one. I developed a reputation that soon caused me to hit rock bottom. I knew something had to change, but somehow, I couldn't do it myself. Not knowing where or who to turn to, I found a tract which gave me information on how I could be saved from all my problems. I knew that I had nothing to lose, so I read through it and accepted Christ as my Savior. What a peace came over me! I thought that's all there is to it and continued living my old familiar ways. Nobody was around to help me grow. About 16 years later, I attended a church with a pastor who truly preached salvation. He had an interest in my eternal destiny, and so with his help, I was able to rediscover my Lord and Savior.

Educational Success Consultation

An Educational Success Consultation with our Principal, Dr. Tad Nuce, is designed to actively engage and support you as parents in making wise educational decisions for your child. Call us below to schedule your consultation, or learn more.